Smokes/Cult Babies/Wrecked Beach
Smokes
Our Power // Independent
With the cancellation of pretty much all live music and the delay of many releases due to COVID-19, Montreal band Smokes took the opportunity to take a different approach and offer their new album, Our Power, earlier than initially planned. The new record marks a shift in the band’s sound bringing a new level of beauty and emotion into their music.
While past Smokes releases favoured an upbeat psych/art-rock style, from the somber album opening vocal line “you’re supposed to be dead” on the meandering string filled track “Keyfabe,” the stage becomes set for a darker tone. It’s within these darker moments where Our Power finds its prettiest moments. The dizzying vocal lines along with the guitar, bass, and synth interplay on “Complaining,” display Smokes ability to maintain the complexity within previous works but grants a more low key approach.
Though the album is deeply emotive, the feelings present within Our Power are not all down ones. The poppy “Big Surprise” provides an upbeat lift in the album. The track culminates with a hooky bridge and an extremely catchy and melodic chorus. The songs many parts segue fluidly till it submits to a halt, allowing room for an experimental crescendo that expertly drops back into the songs pinnacle point.
While this new record is less guitar driven and tonally differs from past work, the album still makes great use of Smokes experimental, psych, and art elements. The shoegazed guitar tones that shape “Grim Trigger,” singer Nick Maas’ hazy delayed vocal sound, and the bands use of shaping lush soundscapes through instrumentation and field recordings, exemplifies a band moving forward deeper into their own sound and abilities.
- Kennedy Pawluk
Cult Babies
Not A Holiday // Independent
Aptly named, Not a Holiday from Vancouver’s Cult Babies was released March 21st, 2020 while the lead vocalist Hasan Li was stranded on a small Caribbean island near St. Lucia when the world turned off due to COVID-19. Recorded in Li’s home in Tunisia and finished in Vancouver last summer, the album is a psych-rock dreamy landscape filled with pot smoke and incense.
The band’s third album sticks with the doomy dark guitar riffs and drum rolls from their 2015 sophomore album Off to See the Lizard and their 2013 self-titled debut. Cult Babies prove to be a consistent Vancouver psych-rock stand out, reminiscent of Black Mountain and the west coast garage sounds of drug-induced slow head banging and body sways. The first track, “Buried Alive,” starts us off in the right mind space with a swelling of fuzzy guitar and darkness. I felt like I was about to embark on a journey, crawling through a cavern to get to a magic gem that will cure the world of its sickness. Each song in the album is another part of my quest. I have to swim through each layer of hazy fog to get to my prize. “Not a Holiday” brings us out of the fog with the lo-fi sounding delay and reverb effects on the guitar and I can picture myself seeing the gem at the end of the cavern. I sense a lightness in the air. I’m able to swipe at the cobwebs and slash through the vines as I waltz and prance my way to the gem and the blue sky. As I go to grasp the treasure, the track “Town Crier” comes on and a snake withers its way down a vine and down my back, making my body move and bend sensually. My arms and the snake undulate, rolling through the mist and moving with my prize. The last track, “Spiterman,” comes on and a sexy lady with a synthesizer is playing my victory song. The drums are a beacon that drive me to the end of my journey. Yep….the album was preeeeetttay pretttaaayyy trippy. I may have indulged in the mind melt but it was an enjoyable journey.
- Mo Lawrance
Wrecked Beach
Eye Tide // Independent
Another day of pandemic and self isolation but the Sun is shining and there is new music for you just waiting to brighten your day and lift your spirits! Times are strange right now and all the more reason why we need music. Music is healing on many levels....
So I’m thrilled to share with you a review of the new amazing album by Wrecked Beach titled Eye Tide.
When I was picking an album to review, it was the album art that drew me in immediately. What was it going to sound like? I hope it’s upbeat! Well I definitely picked the right album for me it was like a groovy flashback of a trip I had when I was young and foolish or something like a déjà vu from another lifetime or dimension. Did I mention music really moves me?
I really appreciated the keys on the album. Being a keyboard player it really rocked my world. Brought me back to sitting in my teenage room burning incense, smoking cigs and listening to my Mom’s cool music of the seventies. The surf-rock meets space-rock sounds of the guitar. Some fun upbeat tempo changes and great Dylan like vocals tone. Whatever you want to call it. I dig it!
I hope your not saying ...get to the tracks already!! Well here it is...
Track 1 Was a super blast off to kick things off. A cool number reminiscent of Dylan and Bowie combined. A quick tempo change to pick things up with some B-52 style keys. Right off the hop I dig it!
Track 2 brought happy vibes which makes me want this for the next road trip. Nice and feel good.
The good vibes keep rolling through Track 3 with a nice baseline to start it off This one feels like a groovy trip.
Track 4 has The Velvet Underground sound. The Ooo la la parts makes me wanna sing along.
Track 5 was like a warm blanket all cozy.
Track 6...did I hear cowbell and tambourine? I love the extra sounds adds a nice fullness. This one grabbed my attention.
Track 7 Wow! I am so appreciating this album I think I need go go boots for this one.
Track 8 was a feel good happy number with some real good words. I like to listen to the words. Nice positive feels to the end off the album.
Would I listen to the new Wrecked Beach album again....Absolutely!!! How can I best sum it up? New yet different! Great vibes and soothing! Give it a listen today!
Sincerely,
Noreen Hurst
